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Why, Why Is Pepsi Testing Doritos-Flavored Mountain Dew?

The arrival of this appalling-sounding combination was first reported on Reddit by Steve Barnes, a freshman at Kent State University, who tasted the “Dewitos” drink when Pepsi offered samples on the Ohio college’s campus recently. Other flavors up for consideration, according to Barnes (he goes by joes_nipples on Reddit): lemon ginger, mango habanero, “and rainbow sherbet, which tasted like medicine.”

Like other media outlets, Quartz at first wasn’t sure whether this was real or a stunt (like that false alarm on pumpkin spice condoms a few weeks ago), but a Pepsi spokesperson has confirmed that these product tests are indeed in progress. A statement to Quartz via email said:

We are always testing out new flavors of Mountain Dew, and giving our fans a voice in helping decide on the next new product has always been important to us. We opened up the DEW flavor vault and gave students a chance to try this Doritos-inspired flavor as part of a small program at colleges and universities.

Several Redditors and bloggers were taken aback by the mere thought of this flavor. “It honestly wasn’t that disgusting,” Barnes told Reddit. "It tasted like orange with a Doritos after taste. It tasted like straight Doritos afterwards though. Weirdest thing I’ve ever drunken.”